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Leap Year Lesson #331: Don’t Be a Lone Ranger

Some of you reading this never saw a TV episode of The Lone Ranger, so I’ll just refer you to this article about it for background. For purposes of this post, all you need to know is that there is a saying “Don’t be a Lone Ranger” that deals with the value of working with others as opposed to trying to do everything yourself. One part of today was a good example of that.

Several involved with a major project rollout at work wanted to communicate what is coming soon with anyone interested. First, I commend them for even thinking about informing others and soliciting feedback rather than just implementing changes. Acceptance of the changes will be greater and the changes themselves will be better because of the feedback.

I also want to acknowledge the innovative way they sought to inform and engage others in the process. Many would have just sent out an email to the masses – one-way communication – and assumed they had communicated. Instead, this team set up a public town hall using our internal social network where they explained and demonstrated the coming changes and invited questions as well as future feedback. The event was scheduled for an hour. Six of us gathered in a conference room to make sure all the bases were covered from content and technical standpoints. Each had his or her role and worked together to present, read questions, answer questions verbally and online, and keep things moving until all was accomplished.

It would be easy to imagine a scenario of one person or perhaps two trying to do it all, but it would have been more chaotic with greater risk. By planning on several being present with each focusing on his/her role, it all came off very well.

I realize that it is sometimes easier to just do things yourself than to involve others – the Lone Ranger was great and right at what he did – but you run the risk of accomplishing less than what several working together can accomplish. Sometimes it’s better to tackle things as teams.

With no disrespect to the Lone Ranger intended, leap year lesson #331 is Don’t be a Lone Ranger.